When Americans think about World War II, their thoughts usually focus on the conflict in Europe. However, equally significant war activities took place in Asia. In some ways the war was worse in Asia due to the racial hatred of the Japanese toward the Chinese. Japan attacked China in 1937 and continued the battle through 1945. The destruction wreaked upon the Chinese was terrible. By 1941, the United States began fighting alongside the Chinese and triumphed after four more brutal years.
In this fictional account, Meindert Dejong tells a beautiful, harrowing account of one family’s attempt to survive these desperate times. The name of this poignant novel is "The House of Sixty Fathers."
Tien Poa and his family have fled from the invading Japanese in a boat called a sampan. Barely having time to pack anything, they leave as their village is overrun. For days they row upstream to get away from the attackers, and arrive at the river city of Hengyang. With little food and clothing, both parents leave Tien Poa in the sampan and begin looking for work. Through an accident, the sampan becomes unmoored and drifts into a flooded river. Terrified, young Tien Poa discovers that he is unable to control the boat and it swirls downstream. Much later it becomes lodged on the shore and the boy jumps off the boat clutching his pet pig, Glory of the Republic.
His only thought is how he can get back to his father and mother but the child has no idea how to do this as he is miles downstream from Hengyang. Suddenly, Tien Poa looks across to the other side of the river and sees platoons and trucks filled with Japanese soldiers advancing toward Hengyang. Remembering the horrible attack by the Japanese Army on his village, Tien Poa scrambles up a cliff to avoid being shot. He yearns to do something to stop the Japanese invaders. From his perch on a bluff, he watches a speck in the sky turn and rush at the Japanese. Soon he realizes it is an airplane and it is machine-gunning the aggressors. The Japanese fire back and the plane catches on fire and crashes close to Tien Poa.
An American with strange-looking blond hair escapes the burning plane and the soldiers furiously attempt to capture the flyer. A battle ensues. When a Japanese fighter is about the kill the American, Tien Poa screams a warning, and the flyer turns and shoots the soldier. Soon the hills are packed with vengeful Japanese. Tien Poa finds the wounded flyer and tries to hide him. As the Japanese begin bearing down, Tien Poa helps the pilot avoid the soldiers but they are still far from Hengyang. Can a young boy and a wounded aviator make their way through miles of hostile territory? A panic-filled night sets in.
Do Tien Poa and the pilot make it to the Chinese/American lines? What has become of Tien Poa’s family? How terrible is a Chinese World War II battle and retreat? Who are the 60 fathers? And finally, how much courage does it take to keep searching and struggling against such incredible odds? To find out read this outstanding World War II novel, "The House of Sixty Fathers."
For his many fine children’s books, Meindert Dejong was awarded the famous Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1962. This book is a gripping, action filled account of World War II in China. The suffering of the war is presented in a truthful manner, but in such a way that children will not be offended by the accounts. Dejong has written a masterful, beautiful story of a family trying to love and protect each other during a terrible war. I found this book to be a compelling account of human nature at its best. I hope you get a chance to read this uplifting novel of hope.
